Kyle Walker, the Tottenham Hotspur defender, is certain that everyone will have an equal chance to stake a claim to be in Roy Hodgson's Euro 2012 squad.
It was confirmed by the Football Association yesterday that Hodgson will unveil his 23-man squad next Wednesday.
Although changes could be made until May 29 if injuries strike, it is thought Hodgson wants to avoid the need to axe players from a preliminary squad, as predecessor Fabio Capello did two years ago before the disappointing performance at the World Cup in South Africa when the side were knocked out in the second round by Germany.
Walker is fighting for one of the most hotly contested spots, with five plausible candidates for the right-back role.
But he said: “Everyone has a fair run-in.
“Obviously, Roy Hodgson watches the Premier League and will be aware of what is going on. Everyone has a chance to be on that plane. We all need to prove to him that we can do the business at the Euros.”
Hodgson still has matters to address, including the form of former skipper John Terry, who looked ill at ease playing for Chelsea in Tuesday night's 4-1 defeat at Liverpool.
He has yet to meet Terry and Rio Ferdinand to determine whether they will feel comfortable being in the same squad. Terry is accused of racially abusing Ferdinand’s brother Anton – a charge which he denies – during a match at Loftus Road in October last year.
Hodgson also has to solve the conundrum of who will play up front, asWayne Rooney is suspended for the first two games of the tournament.
Then there is the issue of the captaincy after Terry was stripped of the armband for the second time. Scott Parker led the side out for Pearce’s solitary match in charge against Holland at Wembley in February.
The squad will meet up on Monday, May 21 and travel to Spain for a training camp ahead of a friendly with Norway in Oslo on May 26 and an encounter with Belgium at Wembley on June 2.
England travel to their Euro 2012 base in Kraków, Poland, on June 6, with Walker admitting there would be no solace in the fact he is only 21 if he did miss out.
“No chance,” he said. “It does matter. I want to represent my country. It is the thing I have been dreaming about since I was a little kid.
“I used to play countless games on the PlayStation. I was always England. I wished I was there and, fingers crossed, I will be on that plane.
“I have an important game for Tottenham against Fulham first.
“Hopefully I can cap off a great season and then it will follow on into the summer.”
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